The Thistle Archive

Media report

29-Dec-2002, bbc.com

STALEMATE AT FIRHILL. Dundee United will end the year bottom of the Scottish Premier League but at least left Firhill with a point. It was the third time this season that the two sides had fought out a stalemate. This time, both sides missed good chances in a tetchy and ill-tempered affair, with Rangers-bound Steven Thompson among the antagonists. United's run without a league win has now stretched to eight games, but they avoided a fourth defeat in a row. Manager Paul Hegarty had publicly criticised his players and rang the changes for the trip to Glasgow. Stephen Carson was left out of the squad and Jim Hamilton was on the bench. Jim Lauchlan returned to the defence, Stephen O'Donnell moved into midfield and Steve Thompson joined Derek Lilley in attack. Thistle manager John Lambie made only one change, with Jamie Buchan coming in for the injured Kenny Milne.

It was the visitors who took the early initiative, looking sharper and more determined, with Charlie Miller prompting behind Thompson and Lilley. The visitors, with a new five-man system in midfield, were reluctant to push players forward in support of Thompson and Lilley and their threat slowly began to diminish. But Thistle were struggling to mount any sort of attack and their first effort on goal did not come until the 22nd minute. David Lilley's close-range header from a Burns free-kick was weak and slipped past United goalkeeper Paul Gallacher's left-hand post. The visitors should have taken the lead after a rare moment of penalty box excitement in the 34th minute. Thompson found himself only eight yards out but shot straight at keeper Kenny Arthur when a goal seemed certain. Stuart Duff's header rebounded against the bar and, when the ball was crossed back into the middle by Duff himself, Thompson's close-range header was tipped over the bar by Arthur.

Craig Easton was set free in the Thistle box by Miller after the break and his angled shot from 12 yards was beaten away by Arthur. Thistle had a half-chance when a weak Mark Wilson clearance broke to Burns only 10 yards from goal, but the former St Mirren man was off balance and blasted his shot high over Gallacher's bar.

The Jags should have taken the lead moments later when Gallacher parried a fierce Jamie Buchan shot from 25 yards and Burns somehow managed to hit the rebound wide from three yards. Jamie Mitchell should have scored for Thistle when he broke free of the United defence with only eight minutes remaining. But the former Clyde man ran out of steam and was caught by three defenders before he could get his shot away.

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